Forever and A Day
by taylansmommy
Summary: Sequel to "Mine". This is the story of Seth Clearwater and Sophie Rae Black. The rating will probably change as the story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

Well I do not own these characters except for Sophie Rae Black. I hope that you enjoy the sequel. You will notice, if you have started this sequel previously, that the first few chapters are the same, but then I am going in a different direction than I thought. Sophie wanted to go a different way. And who am I to say no. So I hope you enjoy and I will try to post as must as I can. If you have not read 'Mine' please do so and as always please review and let me know what you think. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you like it.- Dana

Forever and a Day

A sequel to "Mine"

By: Taylansmommy

Chapter 1 Eight Men and a Baby

Seth's POV

Summer vacation, finally. The drive home from Seattle seemed to take forever. Nessie and I had managed to keep our schedules as synchronized as possible, but I had one last final today, Friday, and now I was rushing back in time to make it to the bonfire. I had spent the last two weeks in my room studying Organic Chemistry. Doc came over almost every night to help and I was feeling pretty confident until I sat in that way too small desk and the test was put in front of me. All I was hoping for at this point was a C.

I was taking the summer off. Sophie had been as patient as possible for a nine month old with super powers. This past week had tried that patience though. I didn't get to spend hardly any time with her and by the time I left this morning, Nessie had to distract her so I could finally leave. She had drug me back to the house three times.

When I pulled into the driveway of the main house, I had to keep myself from speeding. I missed my girl. She was right on the verge of walking and I didn't want to miss those first steps. I quickly parked in the garage. My beat up Toyota pickup looked out of place with the rest of the cars in there. It was a work in progress. The Cullens offered to buy me a car, but I wanted to feel like there was something that was actually mine.

I quickly entered the house and found the family in the living room. I heard Sophie giggle and suddenly I was being picked up off the floor and flown through the air, gently landing in front of Bella who was holding her granddaughter.

"Hey there Baby Girl." Sophie squealed and reached out for me. I took her in my arm and gave her a big hug. She placed her hands on my cheeks and gave me a kiss. I tickled her and she laughed, squirming in my grasp.

"So Seth, how did the final go?" Doc's anticipation sounded clearly in his voice. I turned and gave him a weak smile.

"I think it went okay. I had some lapses in retention, but I think I passed."

Jake's laugh filled the whole room. "Listen to you, lapses in retention. You already sound like a braniac and you haven't even started medical school yet."

Sophie shot her father a nasty look and his chair moved back about three feet.

"Daddy is just teasing me Sweetheart. I'm fine." Jake sighed and gave me a dirty look. If it was this bad when she was an infant, none of us wanted to imagine when the teenage hormones hit. "So we doing the bonfire tonight?"

Nessie came and took Sophie from me. She smiled at me and I notice that all the women in the room were smiling and the men all had a pained looks on their faces. "Well Seth, we women are going to go to Portland for the weekend. We all need some retail therapy. We are leaving you men here and you get to have the whole weekend to play with Sophie." Nessie kissed Sophie on the cheek and then handed her to Jake. "Mommy loves you and I will see you in a couple of days." She kissed Jake and all the other women kissed their partners and waved goodbyes. The room was very quiet and we all just kept looking at each other. This would be the longest Sophie and Nessie would have been apart. There were times when Nessie was the only one who could calm Sophie down. Not that long ago, Sophie got stung by a bee and Nessie was the only one of us that didn't get flung across the creek.

It was Jake's voice that broke the silence. "Piece of cake. We've so got this. They don't think we can handle it." We all nervously laughed and as the Explorer pulled out past the front windows, Sophie suddenly realized that her Mommy was gone. Suddenly her beautiful brown eyes looked at me and started to fill up with tears. Her bottom lip started to quiver and I quickly looked at Emmett.

"Hang on man."

Sophie let out a scream and Emmett was lifted off the floor, straight into the ceiling. He fell back down to earth with a thud.

"Shit." The profanity slipped out of his mouth as he picked himself up.

"Emmett." We all yelled at the same time.

Sophie as struggling in Jake's grasp and reaching towards the windows. "Mama", she kept saying over and over. I walked over to her and knelt down so I was in her vision.

"Calm down Baby Girl. You are going to have the time of your life with me and Daddy. Plus, Grandpa and Great Grandpa, Uncle Emmett, Uncle Jasper and I bet we can even get Uncle Quil and Uncle Embry to come by too." Big alligator tears kept rolling down her cheeks and she crawled out of Jake's arms into mine. She put her head on my shoulder and her sobs slowly decreased.

Jake pulled out his cell phone and rounded the pack up to meet us at First Beach. We took Sophie home to change her clothes and make sure we had everything we needed for the evening. When we got to the house, I took Sophie into the kitchen, put her in her high chair and got her dinner started.

"Tonight Mademoiselle we have macaroni and cheese, peas and for dessert Cherry Cobbler." Sophie laughed and pounded on her tray while I got the food ready. Jake came in and started pounding out a beat with our little percussionist.

"I'll feed her if you want to get ready. I imagine you want to change into something a little more beach appropriate." I still had on my nice clothes for school. I had been spending more and more time with Edward and Doc. They were rubbing off on me.

I handed Jake the plate and kissed Sophie on the head as I headed out of the kitchen and up to my apartment. I quickly took a shower and put on a pair of shorts and a faded black t-shirt. Shoes were not necessary, so I plotted down the stairs and could only shake my head at the sight that waited for me when I got to the kitchen.

Sophie had more food on her face than I think I put in her dish. She was smiling from ear to ear and Jake had peas spewed all over the front of his shirt. He grabbed a rag and washed her off. "She's all yours to get ready. As you can see I have to change myself." He kissed her and gave her a raspberry on her neck which sent out a high pitched giggle. "Love you."

I picked her up and continued to tickle her as I followed Jake up the stairs and then into Sophie's room. I sat her on the floor and turned to get an outfit out of her closet. When I turned back around, she was gone. I quickly ran out of the door and checked the stairs. All the doors down the hall were closed, and she was nowhere. She had to still be in her room.

I quickly went back into her room. "Sophie Rae Black? Where are you?" I heard a giggle come from under the crib. I got down on my hands and knees and she was on her stomach looking at me. When she saw me she put her hands over her eyes and shouted "Boo". I gasped and pretended to pass out. She crawled out from under the crib and climbed onto my stomach. I opened my eyes and she was directly over me, looking into my eyes. She growled and I couldn't help but laugh. "Cub you are so scary." I wrapped her in my arms and gently rolled her on the floor. Keeping one hand on her, I reached behind me and grabbed her clean clothes and fresh diaper. I got her all changed and placed her in her crib so I could put together a bag for the night. I got all the essentials, three changes of clothes, ten diapers, five pairs of socks, three hats, two packages of baby wipes and four blankets. I picked her up and headed down stairs. I was greeted by Jake, Edward, Doc, Jasper, Emmett, Quil and Embry, each with their arms full of stuff. They were carrying the playpen, the highchair, the walker, coolers and duffle bags. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously guys? You forgot the sink." They all shot me dirty looks. "I think we put everything back but the playpen and the cooler." There was a loud thud as items hit the floor. "Ready?" Without another word, we were running towards First Beach. When we got there, we set up the playpen and set Sophie inside. We got the fire going and then started the Smores. The rest of the pack joined us as well as Billy and Quil's Grandfather. We still had made no progress with my Mom and Charlie. It made me sad. Charlie didn't get to enjoy Nessie being a baby and now he was missing out on Sophie and it was his own fault.

I did hear from my Mom last week though. Apparently Leah was pregnant and ready to have a baby at any time. She was still in Alaska and in not the best of conditions. When I started to talk about Sophie, she cut the conversation short and said she would talk to me again soon. Baby steps I guess.

As the night progressed, Sophie was passed from person to person. Finally she started to fuss and she made her way back to me. She put her head on my shoulder and was out within a second. One of my favorite things in the world is holding Sophie while she sleeps. She giggles in her sleep and it makes my day every single time. As the fire died down, Jake and I went ahead while the rest of the group clean up. When we got home, Jake took Sophie and changed her into her pajamas. We both gave her kisses on her forehead and then headed off to bed ourselves.

The next morning I woke to the sound of Jake frantically calling Sophie's name. I pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt and ran down the stairs. As I opened the door onto the second floor, Jake's eyes met mine and they were full of panic. "She's gone. I went into get her this morning and she is gone." We heard something crash to the floor downstairs and Sophie giggle.

We flew down the stairs and towards the direction the noise came from; the kitchen. Sophie as setting on the floor and the refrigerator was wide open. There was a jar of pickles that was shattered on the floor and a jar of strawberry preserves was floating above it. When Sophie became aware of us she mentally let the jar go sending glass shard in every direction. One embedded in her leg and she sent out a blood curdling scream. I ran to her and scooped her into my arms.

"Sophie shhh." I tried to soother her, but she was scared and in pain and nine months old.

"How the hell did she get down here?" Jake was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she wasn't in her crib.

"Jake that doesn't matter right now. Let's get her to Doc and have him check her out." We ran out of the door and directly to the main house. Before the house was even in sight, Edward met us at the tree line.

"Is she okay?" He put his hand on her back and tried to soothe her as well. I could tell by the look on Jake's face he was trying to put pieces together through his worry. It wasn't going well.

Edward's face went blank and he laughed. " She figured out how to climb out of her crib. She went down the stairs on her bottom and was playing with the refrigerator because she likes the light."

Jake and I just shook our heads and quickly brought Sophie into the house where Doc was waiting. He took her up to his office and gave her the once over. One Band Aid later and she was fine.

"Now what do we do? The crib was the only thing giving me peace to sleep." Jake looked exhausted.

"Leave it up to us." Emmett grabbed his car keys and Jasper and Edward followed him out to the garage.

Three hours later, Jake and Nessie's house was completely "baby proofed". The next morning however, we realized it was not Sophie proofed. Jake and I once again woke to the sound of glass breaking. This time when we got down to the bottom of the stairs, everything else fell away. Sophie came walking towards us out of the kitchen. It didn't matter that she was covered with flour and peanut butter. She was walking. Jake and I sat on the floor at the foot of the stairs and clapped as Sophie awkwardly walked towards us. I don't know how long we sat there and watched her, but the only thing that brought me out of my revelry was the sound of the front door open.

Nessie stood there with a look of horror on her face. "What the hell is going on here?"

Jake and I looked back at her, both of us were now smudged with flour and peanut butter ourselves from victory hugs. We smiled at Nessie and in unison said.

"Sophie is walking. Isn't it great."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Terrible 2's

Seth's POV

I woke up with a start. Sophie was sitting on my chest, her face about three inches from mine.

"Wake up. My birfday today." She had a mixture of excitement and annoyance covering her face.

"I know Baby Girl. You scared me."

Sophie giggled and gave me her most fierce face, "Sophie's scary." She made her hands into claws and growled.

I tickled her and she giggled, falling beside me. Her giggle was the best alarm clock ever.

"Sophie. Breakfast." Nessie's voice called from downstairs.

Sophie jumped out of bed and ran for the door. She looked back before disappearing down the stairs. "Hurry up Seth. Pancakes. Need to hurry before Daddy eats them all." She thundered down the stairs and I lay there for a second contemplating my life.

I had been thinking a lot about what needed to be done in the next few years. I was just going to be starting my Senior year and it was time for me to start thinking about where I was going to apply for medical school and then my residency. I had initially thought I would settle for nothing less than in Seattle, but I had had a long talk with Jake and Nessie last night and they thought it might be a good idea to try to see some of the world before I settled into life here at the Res.

"Trust me Seth, I know it would be difficult for you and Sophie to be apart, but think of it this way, live a little before you are stuck here." Nessie looked at him, slightly disgusted. "Not that I feel like I'm stuck, but Seth has a hell of a lot longer to wait than I did. I would hate for him to miss out on things while he has time."

"Seth, even though I don't agree with how he said it, Jake is right. Plus, Sophie is going to get the opportunity to make friends. There will be less questions if you make regular appearances when she is older than now." She smiled at me weakly, but I felt that it hurt her just as much to say this as it did for me to hear it.

"Trying to get rid of me already huh?" I tried to laugh it off, but my voice cracked at the end.

"No Seth. You are our family. You know that. We just don't want you or Sophie to miss anything." Jake stood as he finished speaking. "I'm tired. Just think about it okay."

Nessie got up and gave me a hug before following Jake upstairs. I waited a few minutes before I slowly walked to the second floor. I went into Sophie's room as I had done every night for two years. She was all snuggled up with her wolf stuffed animal. Her black ringlets framed her precious face. Jake and Nessie were asking me to not see her every day. They were asking me to have a life completely separate from hers. What happened if I went away for twenty years, which to us is a blink of an eye, but when I come back she doesn't remember me, or if she falls in love with someone else. Or what if I met someone? I know that my feelings for her are stronger than anything I could ever imagine, but life could still come between us.

Now as I lay here, having slept on the discussion, I realize that the bond that Sophie and I share can't ever be broken. I think we both deserve to give each other space. I want her to have as normal of a time in school as possible. How could that happen with her future, none aging soul mate, who oh yeah, just happens to be a werewolf, hanging around?

I pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt and trudged downstairs. Nessie was cutting Sophie's pancakes as she bounced up and down in her seat. Jake smiled at me as I entered, syrup running down his chin.

"Daddy's messy." Sophie laughed and Jake quickly wiped his face and gave her a look that made her beautiful voice fill the room.

"Help yourself Seth. There are pancakes and bacon in the oven and the coffee is fresh." Nessie smiled up at me, and a silent exchange passed between us. She could tell I had made up my mind.

"Thanks." I quietly walked over and filled a plate and my cup. I sat down next to Sophie and didn't say a word as I ate and watched her get covered from head to toe with syrup.

"Alice is going to need help after we are done. We have been summoned." Jake's eyebrows rose, because we all knew what that meant.

"I say we make Paul string the lights this time. He has managed to always be just late enough to never have to do that job." Jake nodded in agreement with me.

"He's running patrol, so I will phase before we go and give him the order." Jake laughed and Nessie gave him a disapproving look. "What?"

"You are getting awfully greedy with that power. I remember when you said you wouldn't us it unless you absolutely had to." Nessie leaned down and kissed him and he smiled.

"And it is absolutely necessary that Paul string the lights; because if he doesn't have to do it at least once, the rest of us will kill him." Jake took another big bite and syrup landed on his shirt. "Shit."

"Daddy. You owe a dollar." Sophie pointed at the swear jar on the counter. Jake was the only one who had contributed to the swear jar, and I think there was about $400 in there by now. Sophie was the official obscenity police when it came to swear words.

"Jake will you give Sophie a bath please. I need to clean up." Nessie looked at him and he gave his classic "Yes Dear" nod. "Seth will you give me a hand?"

Jake carried the stickiest two year old known to man, up the stairs and I started to take the plates into the kitchen. I sat them in the sink and as soon as my hands were free, Nessie had pulled me into a hug.

"I see you've made up your mind." She sighed and pulled away from me so she could look into my eyes.

I took a deep breath and prayed I wouldn't start crying. "Yeah. I'll finish my undergrad here and then look for schools on the east coast for medical school and my residency. I am sure that Carlisle can help me." I looked down at the floor and let the tears start to fall. "I know this is the right thing, I'm just scared of the time apart. What if something changes?"

Nessie gave me another big hug and whispered, "There are changes that are good you know. Speaking as an imprinted freak myself, there are changes that you want to go through on your own, and you want Sophie to go through on her own. I know that this is hard, and Sophie won't understand when the time comes, but in the end, in your forever, you will both look back on this and be glad that you did."

I took a deep breath and we changed the subject as we finished cleaning the kitchen. I went upstairs to take a shower and when I came back into the living room, the rest of the pack was there and Paul didn't look very happy.

"The whole light thing was your idea wasn't it Clearwater?" He gave me a look, that if I didn't know I could take him in a fight, might have been intimidating.

Sophie walked over and punched him in the arm. Paul didn't react and Sophie quickly looked at her parents and then back to Paul. I knew what was going to happen, and I probably could have stopped it, but I didn't want to. A large vase from the mantel came flying across the room and smashed into Paul's head. "Bad Paul. Be nice to my Seth."

"Sophie Rae." Nessie and Jake both said at the same time. The difference was, Nessie was stern; Jake was laughing.

Paul just brushed the glass off of himself and gently picked her up. "Good thing you are so cute. There aren't many people I would let get away with that." He kissed her on the top of the head and went into the kitchen to get the broom.

After cleaning up the glass the Pack headed to the Main house to get set up for the party. While we were in the middle of taking orders from Alice, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and I instantly got my hopes up.

"Hello?"

There was silence on the other end of the line and then the sound of someone clearing their throat. "Seth?"

"Hi Charlie. Is my Mom okay?" Charlie hadn't spoken to any of us in two years. He had never even seen Sophie and I knew that hurt Nessie and Bella more than they would ever say.

"Yeah. She's fine." He paused and I heard him take a breath. "I was thinking about coming out to the house today. I know it has been a long time, and I know that I might not be my daughter, or granddaughter's favorite person. I want to make amends. I just didn't know if I would be welcome or not." I heard his voice crack slightly and I looked over to Edward who was listening in him own special way. He crossed and whispered to Bella something and in a blink of an eye she was beside me.

"Just a second. There is someone who wants to talk to you." I smiled and handed Bella the phone.

"Dad?" As she listened to her father, I knew Bella would have had tears running down her cheeks if she were human. "Oh please come Dad. You have to meet Sophie. It is her birthday today. She is beautiful." Edward stood behind her with his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and I went to get Jake.

"Jake, you are never going to guess who's coming to the party." His expression was one of confusion. He had tried for over a year to get Charlie to come to his senses.

"The Easter Bunny?"

"Charlie"

Jake looked from me and then over to Bella who was just ending the phone call. She looked at him and nodded. "I've got to go and tell Nessie. Will you guys be okay here?"

Alice came and stood in front of him. "We will be fine. Just bring your dad, Nessie and the birthday girl at 4:00. We will see you then." And Jake was out the door.

The party was signature Alice; pink everywhere and tons of presents and lights. Charlie stayed close to Billy, but it didn't take long for Sophie to crawl up into his lap and steal his heart. Plans were made for a fishing trip the next weekend with, cringing as he said it, "Great Grandpa".

After all the presents were opened and the guest had gone home, the family sat in the main room. Sophie was curled up on my lap and I felt her breathing deepen and even. She had drifted off to sleep. In a whisper I told the rest of the family my plan and it was agreed upon by everyone that I made the right decision and that they would all do everything possible to make it as easy on Sophie and me as they could.

I looked down at her, and for the first time since she was born, our future seemed scary and uncertain.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Graduation Day

Seth

I was surrounded by a sea of purple. The history department was up and I held my breath waiting to hear Nessie's name. She looked beautiful as she started across the stage. She turned to me, locking eyes for a moment. My best friend. I was going to miss her so much.

"Renessme Carlie Cullen", the voice on the loudspeaker echoed. There were cheers to my right, and I looked to see my favorite group of freaks. My pack, the Cullens, Charlie, my mom, Billy and the most adorable almost 3 year old in the world. Nessie paused before leaving the stage, blew them all a kiss and moved her tassel on her cap.

I still had three more departments to go through until it was my turn. Finally all the premed students were called to the stage. I made small talk with my fellow classmate. We were all friendly, but I wouldn't call any of them a friend. I waited at the stairs and turned to my family. Nessie had joined them and they all looked at me with so much love. Tomorrow I would be telling them goodbye. I couldn't think about that right now because I would turn into a blubbering idiot.

"Seth Clearwater"

As I crossed the stage, the light bulbs hanging high from the ceiling exploded, sending a shower of sparks through the air. Instantly I looked to Sophie. She smiled at me, but Jake was not happy. He was whispering in her ear and the smile left her face. It broke my heart that as I moved my tassel, she started to cry.

After I left the stage, I made my way out to the parking lot to meet everyone. I heard Sophie before I saw her.

"Seth", her sweet voice echoed off the cars. I knew that is what I would hear as I closed my eyes each night for however long I was away.

Sophie ran to me and I picked her up, swinging her through the air.

She put her mouth to my ear and whispered, "I gave you fireworks".

I laughed and kissed her forehead, "Yes you did, but you have to be more careful. " Her joyful expression started to change to sadness, and I couldn't have that. "But I loved it. Thank you."

We all piled into our cars and headed back home. I still had some packing to do and I wanted to spend as much time with Sophie as I could before I left in the morning. Thanks to Carlisle's help, I was accepted to John Hopkins. I would be leaving for Baltimore at first light in the morning. The Cullen's had offered to pay for my ticket to fly and have my things moved out, but I got my truck working pretty well and I was looking forward to the drive. Hoping that as the miles sped by, I would feel better about my decision. I had my things all loaded in the truck already, so all I had to do was pack the last few things in my room tonight.

None of us talked on the way home. I was in Nessie and Jake's car. Sophie fell asleep after about five minutes on the road, her head resting on my shoulder. All the rest of the family formed a caravan back to the main house. We were bringing up the rear and as we got closer to Forks, Jake slowed down and put distance between us and the other cars.

"Hey Grandpa, it's not Sunday, and I am not Miss Daisy. Why you driving so slow?" I had to get as many digs in as I could.

He just laughed and slowly pulled into the driveway. We drove slower than I had ever driven before down this dirt road.

"Sophie, you need to wake up baby." Nessie gently grabbed Sophie's foot. Her eyes fluttered and she met mine, and her smile brightening my day.

As we turned the corner to the main house, the rest of the family was standing in the yard, and in the middle of them was a brand new, bright red Dodge Ram. It had all my boxes in the back and a big purple bow on the hood.

"Surprise", Sophie yelled.

I laughed and poked her nose. "Yes it is." I exited the car and made my way through the crowd, exchanging hugs and endearments with the most wonderful people in the world. When I got to Edward and Bella, they handed me an envelope. I opened it and a black American Express card was inside.

"For gas, food, whatever you need. This is on us. All of it until you are done with your residency. There is no argument." Edward pulled me into a hug, and Bella joined in.

"We love you Seth. Come home often." She kissed my cheek and then the two of them disappeared. I looked around and everyone was gone except the pack, Jake, Nessie and Sophie.

"Make sure you phase every night so we can talk." Quil shook my hand, then pulled me into a hug.

"Don't think just because you are all the way across the country that we can't make record time to kick your ass." Paul got his usual death glare from Sophie.

I made my way around the pack and they all retreated to the woods, yelling their goodbyes.

Sophie and I climbed into the cab of my new truck and I drove her home. Jake and Nessie followed in their car. We decided before Sophie's Birthday that we needed to extend the driveway to the house. Having to cart all the things a kid need for trips was just too much of a pain.

"I picked the color. Do you like it?" Sophie was very proud of herself.

"It is perfect Baby Girl." I couldn't say anything else. I was cementing this moment in my memory.

When we got home, we all piled out of the car and proceeded to have a pretty normal evening. Alice had offered to throw me a going away party, but I told her that would be too hard on everyone. So my last night at home consisted of all you can eat tacos and snuggling up on the couch to watch the Wizard of Oz with Sophie. By the end of the movie she was fighting sleep. Normally, she never makes it to the end, she is dead weight being carried up the stairs by now.

"Time for bed Baby Girl", I kissed her and lifted her into my arms to carry her upstairs.

"Seth, don't make me go to sleep." She started to cry and wrapped her arms tight around me, burying her face in my neck.

"Sophie, why don't you want to go to sleep? You are so tired."

"Seth, if I don't go to sleep, tomorrow won't come. And if tomorrow doesn't come, then you won't leave." I pulled her closer to me and fought back tears.

"Tomorrow will still come Baby Girl, whether you sleep or not. But if you don't go to sleep now, you won't be awake in time to see me off." She pulled herself away enough so her beautiful brown eyes bore into mine.

"Seth you wouldn't leave without telling me goodbye…Right?" The pain and exhaustion I saw on her face was almost more than I could stand.

"What do you think?"

She smiled and kissed my cheek, "My Seth would never do that."

I carried her up the stairs and put her in her bed. "Sweet dreams Baby Girl. I will see you in the morning."

As I left the room, I heard her breath in a deep, ragged breath. I knew she was asleep. The next time I came home, she might not want me to tuck her in. Hell I might not be home for years. I was going to try to stay away as long as I could. I wanted to give her the gift of as normal of a childhood as possible.

When I finally made my way to the hallway, Nessie and Jake were waiting for me.

"Are you headed to bed?" Jake's voice had an emotion I hadn't heard before.

"Yeah, I just have a couple more things to pack."

Nessie gave me a kiss on the cheek and silently took Jake's hand and they went to their room.

I walked up the stairs to my room and looked around. It seemed so empty. I opened the top drawer of my dresser and started to pack the box I couldn't bear to pack before; picture and trinkets that Sophie had given me over the years, each one a part of our story. We were only in the very beginning of a very long life together, or at least I hoped so. Right now I was putting my future into the hands of fate.

I packed the last of my things, got undressed and climbed into bed. I closed my eyes for what seemed like a moment and the next thing I knew, my alarm clock was going off. I sat up and looked around the happiest home I had ever lived in. I sighed because I needed to get this part over with. I needed to get on the road.

I took a quick shower, got dressed and grabbed the last two boxes and carried them out to the truck. I had all the boxes covered and tied down by the time Jake made his way out to greet the day.

"Looks like you have it under control." He had a cup of coffee in his hand and that same undetectable inflection in his voice.

"Yeah. I need to get this show on the road." I slapped his back and started towards the house.

"Seth", I turned to see a single tear roll down his cheek. "You are more than my friend, you are my brother. I am going to miss you man. I just wanted to tell you I love you. Come home as often as you can." I walked back to him and gave him a hug.

"I love you too man. You better keep all those dogs in line. And take care of our girls." I pulled away and quickly walked into the house.

Nessie was standing in the living room, a thermos and brown bag full of muffins in her hand. "I figured you'd want to get on the road." I walked to her and pulled her into my arms. "Seth I am going to miss you so much."

"Nessie, I love you. I will be calling you constantly, you know that right?" She laughed and squeezed me tighter. I took a deep breath and she loosened her grip. "I need to go, or I will change my mind." She kissed my cheek and we both turned to see Sophie coming down the stairs.

The sight of her was almost more than I could take. Her eyes still full of sleep, her black curls going in every direction. She had on her Disney Princess nightgown and bunny slippers. She smiled at me and she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Hey Baby Girl. I have to go." I crossed to her and her bottom lip began to quiver. I picked her up and held her tight, taking in the feel of her in my arms and her scent. "I love you more than you will ever know."

She put her lips to my ear and whispered, "Don't forget me."

I held her tighter and let the tears fall as I whispered back, "Impossible".

I carried her out to my truck and held her for a few more minutes before passing her back to Jake.

"Save travels my friend." Jake held Sophie close to his chest and she turned to look at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you guys. Baby Girl, call me whenever. Write to me. I will be back when I can." I leaned over and kissed the top of her head one more time before getting in my truck.

I took a deep breath and looked in my side mirror as I slowly pulled away. I saw Sophie start to pull away from Jake and as I rounded the corner and they disappeared from view I heard her voice being carried by the wind.

"Seth"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Home Sweet Home

Seth

Eighteen years; eighteen long years since I pulled my truck out of the drive way in Forks. In that time, I had graduated from medical school, completed my residency in Hawaii and for the past ten years I have been working for medical teams abroad. Whenever questions started to be raised about how young I looked, I moved to a new location. I have not set foot on the Reservation or in Forks for eighteen years.

I would phase every night, get a blow by blow of what was going on. I was comforting how constant everything was there. Well with one exception. Sophie. Through the eyes of my fellow pack members I had watched her grow up. I saw her first day of school through Jake's eyes, her ballet recitals from Quil. Every birthday party, every Christmas. We wrote each other for the first few years, but over time her letters got less frequent. I became a distant memory of someone she once knew.

Over the years I have had visits from different pack members, usually before they stopped phasing. Embry and Stephanie have four kids now. His son Brad joined the pack last year. Jared left the year after Embry and Paul, well my sister wanted him to keep phasing so she could live out her fantasy of being a cougar I guess. Quil still was an active member of the pack, having just married Claire last year. They waited for her to get her master's degree in accounting. He was so proud of her. I imagine that as soon as the first baby comes, he will go the way of the rest. There were a few new additions to the pack, but only to replace those that quit phasing.

About a year after I left, Leah dropped her son Will off on my mother's doorstep. She signed over all her rights to him and disappeared. He is his mother's son and according to those in the pack, they are all grateful that our wolf gene seems to have skipped a generation. Any trouble Sophie has gotten into over the years, he was involved.

When I was in Brazil, Bella and Edward came for a month. Alice and Jasper visited me in South Korea. All the male Cullins and Jake came hunting with me for a week in India . That was an amazing trip. But I had made it a point not to force any kind of relationship on Sophie. I hadn't seen her except in the communication with my pack since the day I left. I even asked that they remove any pictures of me. I just didn't want her to have any preconceived notions of I came back, I wanted to do so when we were both adults.

The other very odd thing that coincided with my leaving was that Sophie lost all of her powers. It happened gradually, but by the time she had turned three, they were all gone. That meant that she could get hurt and heal just like a human. From what I was told, she doesn't even remember having powers at all. I just wondered if that meant that eventually I would be leaving the pack as well to grow old with Sophie. I guess time would tell.

Currently I was in Namibia, waiting in Walvis Bay. I had told the coordinator for the medical teams that I wanted to head back stateside. He was a friend of Carlisle's, and he also had to keep moving to stay under the radar. He informed me that there was a job opening and that the interested party wanted to interview me here, see me at work. I tried to get ahold of anybody at home to let them know I might be back in the country. I had phased the past three nights, but nothing. It was like everyone had disappeared. I had called Nessie last night, but my call went straight to voicemail. I finally got a hold of Esme, and she told me there was nothing to worry about, that everyone was fine.

I was sitting at the bay side café of the hotel that had been my home for the past month, coffee and a muffin on my plate. I went hunting last night, just because I had nothing better to do. The gazelle I caught was enough to last me for a while. Hunting here was dangerous. I wasn't the only predator in the woods. My mind wasn't on my take down last night, or where this job could take me. It was at a yellow house in the woods. I wanted to go home, but I just needed some kind of a sign to know it was okay. I took a deep breath and inhaled a scent I hadn't smelled in years. I quickly stood and turned, and the vision before me made me think I had either died or was dreaming.

Smiling sweetly at me, in a long yellow sundress, shielding herself with an umbrella was Nessie.

"Hey stranger." She laughed as I ran to her and held her so tight it would have taken an act of God for me to let her go. Finally I pulled back from her. Her laugh was like music.

"What the hell are you doing here? Is Sophie okay?" I was feeling a mixture of excitement and panic.

Nessie put her hands on the side of my face and locked her eyes to mine. "She is fine. She is in Paris with Mom and Dad. But I am not alone." As she said the words, Jake, Paul, Embry, Quil and Jared came around the corner of the hotel. We ran to each other and embraced in what could only be described as a group hug.

"I don't believe it. Look at you old men. "

Jake put his arm around me and led me back to my table. "Aren't they just a sad sight to behold?"

Quil was grinning from ear to ear. "We wanted to surprise you."

"Mission accomplished."

We all sat at the table, pulling up chairs. They caught me up on news from the Reservation. Billy was still doing well, though Nessie and Jake had built an addition onto the house and he was living with them now. The Cullens were scattered to the ends of the Earth and came home often, but rarely all at the same time. The rest of the pack decided they wanted to explore and that left Jake, Nessie and I at the table.

I took a deep breath and when I exhaled, the last remaining bits of my patience went with it.

"How is she?" I searched their faces, hoping that what I saw there wasn't bad news.

Nessie smiled at me and winked. "She is amazing. She is starting her Sophomore year at University of Washington. She wants to be a teacher and work on the Reservation." Nessie looked at Jake and he took her hand.

"Seth we want you to come home. It is time. Sophie is an adult. She is mature and has had a wonderful childhood, but we both see that there is something missing now. And that something is you, your connection." Jake kissed Nessie's hand and the intimate moment was a floodgate opening for memories that I had tried so hard to keep buried.

"Does she ever ask about me?" I really don't know what I wanted the answer to that question to be. I knew I didn't want her to forget me, but I didn't want her to have had this ache I have felt for the past eighteen years.

"When you first left Seth, she would sit in the driveway and just stare, waiting for you to come back. As she got older, she would still ask about you and talk about you, but not as much. At times though she would just stare out the window, like she was waiting. Once she reached high school, we would talk about you, keep each other in the loop about what was going on, and when we would bring up your name, she would leave the room." Nessie stopped talking because the pain her words caused, must have registered on my face.

"Seth, she had a happy childhood, but whether she will admit it or not, she knows she is waiting for someone. She has been waiting for you." Jake smiled at me. "So bring your world traveling ass home. We need a doctor on the Res. One who is familiar with our special medical needs. Esme is already working on blueprints for a house just down from ours. A place for you to call your own. We miss you."

Home. It had been so long, I didn't even know if I remembered what it felt like to have a home. But these were the words I had been waiting for. "When do we leave?" I smiled and Nessie ran around the table and gave me a big hug, kissing my cheek.

Jake stood and put his arm around my shoulder. "We have return tickets for day after tomorrow. Nessie, why don't you call Bella and give her the good news."

I didn't know what her reaction would be. But I did know that soon I would be home. Where my heart has been all along.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – I Know You

Sophie POV

Sophie

"Thank you for calling Sweetheart. Tell him we can't wait to have him home and that we love him. Safe travels." Grandma hung up the phone and ran to my Grandfather.

"Good news from Africa?" Grandpa laughed at the expression on her face.

"Seth is coming home."

My heart did a summersault. Seth Clearwater, the world traveler has finally decided to bring himself back home. According to the rest of the family, Seth and I were connected at the hip when I was a small child, but I barely remember him. I knew he was a member of the pack and still stayed connected to them all. I knew he was my Mom's best friend and the brother my Dad had never had. The vampire side of the family was pretty fond of him as well. I also knew he was Will's Uncle, but he knew even less about him than I did.

"Did you hear me Sophie?" Grandma acted as if I should be shouting from the rooftops.

"I heard you. I bet you all are excited. I don't really remember him. But I am glad I will finally get to know the man , the myth, the legend." I couldn't explain it, but I was suddenly angry for some reason. I felt like a balloon had popped inside me and all this venom wanted to come spewing out. I had no idea where it came from either.

It was a sunny day, so my grandparents were confined to the hotel room. I had decided to go to the Louvre for part of the day, then walk through some of the street vendors and take some pictures around the Eiffel Tower.

As I was walking to the museum, I was almost in a daze. Everything I saw, I found myself wondering what Seth Clearwater would think of it. I stopped and got a croissant, and as I was ordering I couldn't help but think 'Would Seth Clearwater want a chocolate or plain one?' This anger that I felt was starting to build with each slip of my questioning what this person, who to me was really nothing; what he thought of practically anything that came in my path.

I was in the classics section of the Louvre. After a while, all the painting started to look alike. It was lulling me into a kind of calm, helping me to get this stranger off my mind. There was a moment when I thought I had seen enough. I rounded the corner and came face to face with a painting that stirred something inside me. The painting was called Spring by Pierre Auguste Cot. It was of a young man and woman riding on a swing together. Something about it made me smile, but I started to feel light headed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly I heard a voice. It was familiar and foreign at the same time.

"Baby Girl"

I opened my eyes, but I was the only one in the general vicinity of the painting. Again my head started to spin. I sat on a bench directly across from the couple on the swing. I closed my eyes again and this time I heard my name, the same deep voice. A chill went down my spine and at that moment I didn't want to be anywhere but back home. I looked at the painting again and knew I couldn't look at it any longer. I closed my eyes, stood and started to walk away. With my third step, I heard a loud cracking sound and then an alarm started to go off. I turned to see a large crack in the glass surrounding the painting. Guards came running towards where I was standing and I was almost knocked over. I quickly made my way to the exit, wondering if there was an earthquake I hadn't felt. That was the only logical explanation for the glass breaking the way it did. But it was just that one painting. I guess I would just have to add it to the list of the unexplainable in my life, and it was one really long list.

That was our last day in Paris. We caught the red eye to New York at 10pm, arriving in Seattle after the sun had set. I was starting school in a week; my junior year at WSU. I had decided to get an apartment not too far from campus. My dad was completely against it, but I promised I would be home often and he made me get a two bedroom place so there would be a place for the many expected houseguests to sleep. I was moving in two days. Mom and Dad would be back from their trip tomorrow night. I was hoping that jet lag would make them sleep through as much of it as possible to escape the inevitable begging for me to stay home.

Jasper and Alice met us at the airport. Alice had asked for the keys to my apartment before I left, but I lied and told her I didn't get them until the day I moved in. I made Jasper promise to take her on a vacation on moving day. He smiled and told me it wouldn't be a problem.

They dropped me off at home and I instantly went up to my room. I was exhausted, but jetlag can be a real pain in the butt. I lay there and couldn't help but wonder how different things would be when I didn't spend every night in this room. It was exciting and scary at the same time. In my family, I was considered the black sheep. I had no special gifts, no promise of immortality. It was time I learned how to be around my 'own kind'.

The next morning I did some packing, then drove over the Grandpa and Sue's. Will would be there; he really had nothing else going on. He was my friend, but ever since I started going to school, his lack of ambition bothered me. He was so angry about the fact that he was not a member of the pack. He would say all the time that since his mother had been one, he earned the right. I thought of our other friends, Ethan, whose father Sam had been a member at one time and Brad, his dad Embry was one of my dad's best friends and a former pack member, they were sad at times and envied the choices that Will had. He had an open empty slate that he could do anything with. Instead of living life to the fullest, he was content with sleeping all day, working as little as possible and partying more than any person should. When we were kids, he was fun; now I just saw him as sad.

When I pulled up to the driveway, Sue was working on one of the flowerbeds in the front yard. She and Grandpa Charlie were in their early sixties and looking to retire soon. My grandparents had offered to take care of them, but Grandpa Charlie refused. I have no doubt that the stubborn streak that runs through all the women in the family started with him. I've never met my great grandmother. When my grandmother went through her change, they told her that she had died. I know grandma still keeps track of her though, and that she is happy and living in Florida.

"Hi there Sue", she smiled at me and stood, wiping the dirt off her hands.

"Well hello Sophie. So have you heard the good news?" She was almost bouncing with excitement.

"Yes. I bet you will be so glad to have your son back here and to have a new doctor at the Reservation. I imagine that you will have a lot to catch up on." Sue looked at me strangely, like my reaction, or lack thereof, was not what she expected.

"You really don't remember when he was here do you?" There was a sadness in her voice that almost sent a fissure through my heart. She quickly changed course of the conversation and changed her volume to a whisper. "I am hoping with Seth being here, my grandson will get his act together. I think Charlie is about to the point of telling him to get out." She wiped more nonexistent dirt off her hands.

I gave her a hug and as I pulled away I asked, "Well is the troublemaker inside?"

She just nodded and I gave her another quick hug before taking the stairs to the house two at a time. When I entered it was an unwelcome sight. Will in the same shirt he wore practically every day, and a pair of basketball shorts. He had his laptop on the dining room table and headphones in place, yelling obscenities at the screen. There where dirty dishes and empty pop cans on the table around him

"No you son of a bitch! Get that fucker on your right. Your right." He looked up and saw me standing there and gave me a nod then returned his focus to the computer. "God you are fucking useless", he screamed, hitting his mouse so hard it shattered into pieces that flew everywhere. "You here for the coming home celebration? You're a little early." The venom that dripped off his words almost made me sick to my stomach.

"No, I just thought I would come by and say hi before my big moving day tomorrow. I can see you are very busy though. I guess I will see you when I see you." There was no hiding the sarcasm or anger in my voice. I turned and started out the door and I heard him yell behind me.

"Don't be a pouty bitch Sophie."

Right at that moment, as I was coming out of the door I ran into a wall. Not a real wall mind you, but it almost knocked me on my butt just the same. I looked up at the man in the doorway and he had a look for pure hatred on his face and a low growl rumbled in his chest.

"Seth stop!" My father's voice quickly cut through the air with authority and it seemed to snap this man out of whatever intentions he had. He blinked twice and then looked down at me and smiled. I don't know how long we looked at each other, but leave it to my mom to bring me back to reality.

"Sophie, you remember Seth don't you?" There was a quiver in her voice that I don't think I ever heard before.

Seth took my hand and it was like I never wanted to let him go. "Nice to see you again Sophie. You definitely have changed a lot since the last time I saw you."

I never broke eye contact with him, and felt a stirring, a long buried ache start to itch. "I wish I could remember you Seth. I have heard so much about you."

Suddenly I was pushed aside as Will took my place. "So, if it isn't my long lost Uncle. It's about time you brought your ass home."

"Will!" Sue yelled his name and there was embarrassment mixed with the anger.

"Mom, its fine. It is obvious that my nephew takes after his mother." Seth looked down Will who was about six inches shorter than him. "Understand something, if I ever hear you speak to Sophie, my mother or anyone I care about like that again, you will be gumming your food." Seth spoke evenly and with a calm and certainty that would have sent the fear of God into me if I was Will.

"Whatever." Will turned and walked back into the house, grabbed his laptop and walked upstairs.

My focus went to my parents and Seth moved to the side so I could greet them. It was as I was starting down the stairs that I realize that Seth had never let go of my hand. As my hand slipped from his, all I wanted to do was grab it again.

"Hey. What are you doing back already?" My dad and mom embraced me and their hugs made me feel so loved. I had missed them and for a split second, I questioned my decision to move.

"We caught and earlier plane. We wanted to spend your last evening home with you." Mom wouldn't let go of me, and I giggled as I pushed myself out of her grasp.

"Well why don't we head home? I will cook. How does tacos sound?" I laughed at the gleam that appeared in my dad's eyes when I said the word tacos. It was his favorite meal.

"Sounds great. You coming Clearwater? You still like tacos right?" Dad looked past me then and there was a silent exchange that passed between him and Seth. I turned to look at Seth, and he smiled at me. I had to catch me breathe.

Suddenly, Seth slipped off the top step of the porch and almost landed on his butt.

"Woahhh… I guess that I am more jetlagged that I thought." He quickly walked down the stairs and hugged Sue. "Mom, I will be back to catch up in a few days. I love you. Tell Charlie hi for me."

I started towards my car; I had to go to the store to get groceries. I turned and before I knew what was coming out of my mouth I said, "Seth, do you feel up to going to the store with me?" After I finished, I wanted to take it back. Oh no I didn't, and I had no idea why.

"Sure." He smiled and it lit up his whole face. He followed me to my car and called over the roof as he was getting in. "See you guys back at the house."

I took a deep breath and as I got into the car, I was more nervous and more at peace than I had ever been in my life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Seth's POV

Chapter 6

We were lucky enough to catch an earlier flight out of JFK. Nessie contacted Alice, and they were leaving for a vacation and going to leave their car at the airport. It wasn't until we were in the air on the way to Seattle that Jake let the news slip about the plans for the next day.

"So Seth, we might need your help tomorrow." He leaned over Nessie, who was sitting next to the aisle, so he could see me.

"Sure Jake, what's up?" I figured that maybe they would need to catch things up at the garage, and the clinic wouldn't be up and running for some time.

"Well," Jake cleared his throat and let the rest of his sentence rush out before quickly flopping back in his seat. "Nessie is moving tomorrow into Seattle."

It took a moment for the words to sink in and when they did, I didn't exactly know how to react. My decision was made for me when Nessie reached across the aisle and gently squeezed my arm. I quickly moved it out of her reach and said, "No." It wasn't at the news of Sophie moving, it was directed at the people who at that moment I felt had lied to me. I leaned over the aisle and whispered, "So you completely lied to me to get me home?"

Nessie leaned over the aisle so she was whispering in my ear. "It was time for you to come home Seth. Sophie is not the only one waiting for you. We all have missed you and if you had known that Sophie was moving, God only knows how long you would have stayed away. We don't know how much time Sophie has. Don't waste it being proud. Besides, Jake and I have missed you so much. Were we selfish in what we did to get you on this plane? Yep. But suck it up and deal with it, or I will make my husband give you an order for you to do so." She pulled back and smiled at me. "I have more power than you can imagine." She winked at me and then turned and gave Jake a deep long kiss.

I sighed and flopped back in my seat. Was I happy about this new information? Hell no! I was on my way home though, and that is where I was meant to be. By the time our wheels touched down in Seattle, I was almost bouncing in my seat.

We sent my things, minus a suit case with my essentials, via a shipping company, so we all only had one suitcase each. The rest of the pack had their wives to meet them, and Jake, Nessie and I got into the latest SUV the Cullens had added to their collection. Since I had been out in the middle of nowhere for way too long, the only vehicles I was familiar with anymore were Jeeps and Humvees. It was nice and while the scenery whizzed by, it was almost like I had never left. We drove past the spot where Nessie and I had been in the accident so many years ago, and it was hard to believe how much had changed since then. As we got closer to La Push my anxiety level rose about seeing Sophie. So I pulled a completely cowardly move.

"Hey Jake, do you mind if I stop and see my mom before we head home?"

"Sure. She will be so excited to see you." Jake aimed the car towards Forks. Mom had moved in with Charlie when they got married close to twenty years ago now.

When we turned onto Charlie's street,started to feel like a fire was building in my stomach. The farther we got down the street, I just wanted to jump out of the car and run towards the house. I mean, I knew I had missed my mom, but this was ridiculous. As we got closer, I saw a little convertible parked behind what I assumed was my mom's sensible sedan. I heard Nessie take a deep breath.

"Sophie's here." She sounded almost more nervous than excited. I guess that serves me right for trying to avoid the inevitable.

My mom was working in the yard and when our car pulled up, she didn't register at first who it was. It wasn't until I got out of the car and walked towards her that she dropped the tools in her hands and started to run to me. I met her half way and pulled her into a deep hug.

"Hey Mom", I felt like I was eight again. I was glad that I had my mom to help heal any heart breaks that might be in the near future.

"Seth I have missed you so much. Welcome home." As she said the last words, I heard swearing coming from the house. Then there was the sound of something breaking. Before I knew what I was doing, I was halfway up the stairs.

As I reach the top stair I hear from inside the house, "Don't be a pouty bitch Sophie." In that moment, all I could think about was ending whoever had said those words. I didn't know who it was and I didn't care. There was something in my way though, and I was snapped out of my rage by Jake's voice.

"Seth stop!"

The order brought around a new realization; the only thing that mattered in the world was standing right in front of me. I looked down at her and smiled. She was well over a foot shorter than me, probably about 5'3". She had raven black hair that had hints of red in the sun. Her big hazel eyes, I could have gotten lost in them forever and she was the most beautiful thing I would ever see in my entire life.

"Sophie, you remember Seth don't you?" I think it was Nessie who spoke but I really didn't care."

I took her hand and I knew that by her side was where I would be, whether she wanted me there or not. "Nice to see you again Sophie. You definitely have changed a lot since the last time I saw you." I sounded like a complete idiot. I knew that. I wanted to hear her voice though. Her actual voice and not a distortion that I heard from the pack's memories.

"I wish I could remember you Seth. I have heard so much about you." Her voice was like music. I wanted her to keep talking. She never looked away, and it was only the rudeness of an asshole that broke our eye contact. I wouldn't let go of her hand though, not until she made the first move.

Will was now in my vision, pushing Sophie to the side. "So, if it isn't my long lost Uncle. It's about time you brought your ass home." He was a male version of Leah. I guess it shows how strong genetics is. Even without her physical presence in his life, he still turned out exactly like her.

"Will!" My mom's voice was full of hurt and anger. I needed her to know that I was here now and I would put this little shit in his place.

"Mom, its fine. It is obvious that my nephew takes after his mother." Since this was the first time had ever laid eyes on Will, I wanted him to understand who I was and what my return meant. Either he grew up and behaved, or he would be finding himself in a very uncomfortable situation. "Understand something, if I ever hear you speak to Sophie, my mother or anyone I care about like that again, you will be gumming your food." I was calm; there was nothing but truth in what I said. In my time away, I had seen and experienced so much, this kid was nothing to get my feathers ruffled about; except when it came to Sophie. If he ever spoke to her like that again, or even looked at her the wrong way, he would be picking his teeth off the floor.

"Whatever", and with that brilliant response he was gone. I just rolled my eyes and focused on more important matters; and her hand was still in mine.

I moved so she could get down the stairs and when she started to slip from my grip, it took every ounce of strength I had not to grasp tighter and pull her back. Sophie ran to Jake and Nessie, giving them big hugs. I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. I was just drinking her in with my eyes; committing this to my memory. Once again it was Jake's voice that snapped me back to reality.

"You coming Clearwater? You still like tacos right?" The corner of his mouth raised and I knew he was happy. I also knew that he and I would be having a very uncomfortable conversation later. That is if Sophie give any indication of a return of this connection.

Before I could answer, Sophie turned and looked at me, and suddenly I felt a sensation I hadn't felt since I left. I was slowly being pulled forward. She didn't even realize she was doing it. My foot slipped off the top step and I almost lost my balance. I didn't want to give anyone any indication, especially Sophie, of the significance of what just happened.

""Woahhh… I guess that I am more jetlagged that I thought." I hugged my mom and walked towards the cars. "Mom, I will be back to catch up in a few days. I love you. Tell Charlie hi for me."

I wanted to go with her so badly. But I didn't want to be the creepy older guy who wouldn't leave her alone either, so when she spoke, my heart leapt in my chest.

"Seth, do you want to go to the store with me?"

I looked at Jake and Nessie who both had smiles from ear to ear. "Sure." Oh crap. I could do this and not be a complete idiot. I was a doctor for God's sake. I saved people's lives. But this beautiful little woman had me scared shitless.

We got in her car, and I was grateful the top was down. It would have been completely cramped otherwise. Then I started to get angry and the family for buying her a convertible. She was human and fragile. Why not give her a loaded gun while they were at it. I let out a loud sigh of frustration and I heard Sophie clear her throat.

"If you want to go back to the house, that's fine." She looked at me as she started to back out of the driveway.

Shit…."No, I was just thinking about something else. It will be nice to see how Forks has changed over the years." Okay, I could do this. I could make small talk with this woman. This amazing woman. There was only a small glimmer of the Cub I remembered in her eyes. But Sophie was now a woman. How did that happen?

"Well you really haven't missed much." She giggled as we pulled out onto the main road. "They made renovations to the Thriftway about five years ago. Oh and we got a Taco Bell." She widened her eyes and nodded. "Yeah we are a booming metropolis now."

I whistled, " How are you going to handle such a small city like Seattle after living here in the big city?" I hurt so much to say the words. She couldn't be leaving tomorrow. But I knew I had to let her go. Stupid fate. I hope that it had an outcome in mind that was best for everyone, but it not, than what was best for Sophie.

"I am going to miss it here. I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow. I will be back though. I want to teach and establish a really good school on the Reservation. We had good teachers, but if it wasn't for Grandpa, I don't know what kind of education I would have had. " She was quiet for a second. "I think one of us has really bad timing; you coming home as I am leaving. I hope we can get to know each other better. I would love to hear about all the places you have gone. I bet you have some good stories."

That made me smile, but it also squeezed my heart. If she only knew that for every story I had to tell, she was there with me. Not exactly the woman I sat here in the car with, but variations of her; those of my Cub, and how she would giggle if she had seen the giraffes run across the open plains. At times she was the precocious teenager, that Jake shared images of, when I was in some of the open air markets of India, asking for everything in sight. She was with me every night, as I would phase back to two legs and look up at the stars. In almost every breath I took in, for the past twenty years.

"Well you will just have to come back as often as possible. And besides, from what I hear, they are okay coffee in Seattle. We could always meet at the new place called Starbucks…I think that's the name." That sent a fit of laughter that swirled in the air.

"They told me a lot about you, but never that you were a comedian." She looked at me through her peripheral vision and winked.

"They probably didn't tell you I was this ruggedly handsome either." I gave her the 'Blue Steel' look and she just quickly looked at me and then back at the road.

"I think some of the details may have been exaggerated." A small smile painted her face. I grabbed my chest and pretended to pass out.

We pulled into Thriftway, and even with the noticeable changes, it was almost exactly the same. We made small talk and talked about the town and the Res. I went to the wine section and grabbed three bottles of different kinds of red wine. When I came back to the cart, Sophie laughed.

"You know Dad will make you turn in your man card if you show up with that right?"

I sighed and walked over to the beer case. If I was going to have to drink beer, there was no way it would be the cheap stuff Jake always buys. I grabbed two six packs of micro brews that looked interesting. Being in different countries for so long changed my taste for things. We got to the checkout and I paid, even though she argued.

"You still have two weeks until you are twenty one. So you don't have a choice." I smiled my best shit eating grin and she stuck her tongue out at me.

We talked music and movies on the way back to the house. The conversation flowed easily and even though the beautiful house with the little white fence was a welcome sight, I was sad to have our drive end.

The house was the same except for the walkway and the new cabin for Billy. Jake had wheeled Billy onto the porch as we approached. He looked so much older, and I knew from Nessie's letters that his health was failing. I just wasn't expecting it to be so obvious.

"Hey old man!" I hugged him and he slapped me on the back.

"Nice to have you back son. Man if your Dad could see you now. He would be one proud son of a bitch." He reached into his pocket, retrieved a dollar and handed it to Sophie. "That was worth every penny."

I laughed, "You still have the swear jar? How many thousands have you put in there Jake?"

Jake shook his head and said, "You don't even want to know."

We all walked into the house, and Nessie and Sophie got busy in the kitchen as I opened beers for Jake, Billy and myself and we caught up some. By the time the tacos were done, I was two beers in and feeling pretty good. Nessie opened one of the bottles of wine and poured me a glass. Dinner was delicious. Nessie decided that since she and Sophie had cooked, Jake and I were in charge of clean up.

I stood and Sophie looked up at me, making feel a little weak in my knees. She stood and walked towards the stereo. "You have any request Seth?"

I picked up her plate and without looking at her I said, "Whatever you want Baby Girl is fine with me."

I heard her intake air and without any warning the two large windows in the dining room blew outward. Jake dropped his plate and I slowly set mine on the table. I turned cautiously to look at her.

Sophie stood there, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was shaking and her hands were balled into fists at her sides.

"You left me."

Before I could answer, she was running out the front door.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sophie's POV

Dinner was amazing. Seth was funny and I enjoyed his company so much. Watching him with my parents, the way they would banter back and forth, it gave me a new insight into who they all were, as people, not just my parents.

When we had finished eating, Mom made the decision that Dad and Seth had to do the dishes. I was perfectly fine with that, and I decided to give Mr. Clearwater a test. What music a person listens to, well I think you can tell a lot about a person by that alone.

I stood and walked towards the stereo. "You have any request Seth?"

"Whatever you want Baby Girl is fine with me."

As the words left his mouth it was like he punched open some kind of dam. I remembered everything. His face, laughing, him giving me hugs and falling asleep curled up in his lap. Suddenly I was faced with the vision of him as he drove away that last day. I relived the pain of that day and all the pain in the years that came after; pain from missing something and not knowing what or who it was. I also remembered what I could do. I was so angry, and before I even knew what was happening, the windows broke outwards in the dining room.

I think it was my Dad that dropped his plates he was carrying. I couldn't tell for sure though because I wasn't looking at him . My eyes were focused on Seth. I watched as he gently placed his plates on the table and slowly turned to look at me. I was crying and there was no way for me to stop. Like I said, dam burst and all. When he looked at me, there was only one thing I could say.

"You left me."

As the words hung there, waiting for a reply, I knew I couldn't stay in that house any longer. I ran for the door, escaping any explanation he could have offered.

"Sophie", I heard him call behind me. I had things to say, and I wanted to say them just to him. I would deal with my parents later. They had their own explaining to do.

I stopped about half way to my Grandparent's house. I ran like a normal human, but as of tonight, I knew I was anything but. Seth easily caught up to me, not even the slightest bit winded. I, on the other hand was bent over, my hands on my knees, gasping for breath.

"Sophie, are you okay?" There was genuine concern in his voice, but that just seemed to stoke my anger.

I held up my hand indicating that I need a second. And I did because I didn't want to be concentrating on breathing during my monologue. Because damn it, I deserved one.

He waited patiently, hands in the pockets of his jeans, alternating looking at me and his feet.

When I finally stood upright, I took a deep breath and tried to make myself as tall as possible. At 5'3", that is not very tall, but I had enough anger in my right now to make me feel like a giant.

"So whose brilliant idea was it for you to leave? You all kept me out of those conversations." I saw a small smile raise one corner of his mouth.

"Well you were two Cub, it is not like you really could have contributed much to the conversation." On now I was more than angry, now I was pissed. I focused on a large branch about thirty feet behind him. I pictured it hitting him in the head and less than a second later, that is what happened. "Shit!" He was rubbing the back of his head and looked up at me in shock.

I held out my hand, "That's a dollar for the swear jar."

He looked at me like I had two heads. "Excuse me?"

I placed my left hand on my hip and extended my right hand out farther. "One dollar. It's my rules now mister. You have proven that you make really shitty decisions." He smirked at me and I realized what I had said. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a dollar. "I paid, now your turn. Or are you a cheapskate as well as liar?"

He pulled out his wallet and looked hurt. "Liar? I never lied to you Sophie." He handed me a dollar and lingered too long with his hand touching mine. I jerked it back and glared at him.

"You told me you would never leave me; that you would always be here for me. Well I don't know all the places that you where, but I do know where you weren't; here!" I was fighting back tear again, and I didn't want to cry around him.

"I would have been back here in a second if you needed me. I saw you ever day, through your Dad and the rest of the pack. Your mom wrote me almost every day, telling me what was going on with you. I wanted to give you what I could, a normal childhood. We all thought that was what was best for you. I mean I didn't want to be this old dude that cramped you style. And until you got to be this age, where we could relate on an adult level, that is what I would have been." He had a tone in his voice that calmed me, and I knew what he was saying made sense for the most part. There was one thing that he had completely wrong though.

"So you think because you saw second hand, no wait, I guess it really was third hand wasn't it, what I was doing, you had any idea what was going on with me?" His eye got slightly wider and he no longer looked anywhere but me. "I missed you. Every day, I would wake up and walk out of my room and look at the stairs that went to the attic and my heart would hurt. I didn't know why. Every day. When something positive happened, it never felt complete. My happiness seemed muted. I didn't know why. And when something negative happened, I usually kept it to myself. Because the one person I wanted to share it with wasn't here. But I didn't know that, I just thought I couldn't trust anyone completely enough to tell them what I was feeling. Instead I was left with some good friends, who I never let close enough to really know me, and a couple of pretty crappy friends who made me think that is as good as it would get." I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "I would go and hang out with Will because he reminded me of something, I didn't know what. I really don't like him you know." I looked at Seth for a second, but had to look away. That is a door that should never be opened; especially not with him. I mean it wasn't anything life changing, but some of the words that were spoken, well they ranked right up there with sticks and stones.

I heard him sigh and the leaves crunch under his feet at he took a step forward. "Sophie, I was wrong about that. You are right, there is no way for me to know what you went through; not really. That was ignorant of me. I'm sorry. But I am not sorry for the decision that we made." I glared at him and he held up his hand. "Now hear me out please." He took a deep breath and ran his hand over his face. He had a five o'clock shadow and I realized how tired he looked. Maybe it was I finally had an image to compare his current state to. "I watched what waiting did to Quin. I know that he and Claire wouldn't have had it any differently, but he also never wanted to be anything than a mechanic and member of the pack. I don't mean that as a bad thing at all. I just wanted more. I wanted to be able to contribute to the Tribe in a way that would make a real difference. And I wanted to do some good. I feel like I have done that. I have saved people who might not be alive if I had chosen to stay here. For that I will never apologize."

It was hard for me to get angry at what he had said. He had the right to have a life and follow his dreams. I was now the age he was when I was born. I had seen what having your choices taken away can do to people by being around my Aunt Rose. That would have been the last thing I wanted for Seth.

I cleared my throat. "Well I can accept that answer. It doesn't mean I am happy about this situation and it definitely doesn't mean that you will step back into my life where you left off." I tried to stand tall again, but I think all I did was push my chest out. "I am still moving tomorrow, and if you want to be in my life Mr. Clearwater, you have to put in the effort. I mean it. I don't care about all the imprinting and tribe stuff. If you want to be my friend, well you have to earn it."

With that I stomped back towards home.

I heard Seth chuckle behind me and say, "As you wish Miss Black. As you wish."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Seth's POV

"As you wish Miss Black. As you wish."

I followed Sophie home, staying about ten feet behind her. She never looked back and she kept her pace steady. I found myself wondering what all this meant. Was the fact that Sophie remembered everything and got her powers back tied to me, or was something else happening that we didn't know about? And what was that comment regarding Will about? So help me God, if he hurt her, he would be nothing more than a distant memory when I was done with him.

When we got back to the house, Jake and Nessie were pacing on the front porch. Jake started to talk, but Sophie held up her hand.

"I am tired. I have a big day tomorrow and I don't want to talk about this now." She walked in the house, but before the door closed, she stuck her head out and said, "Just so you know; all three of you are on my shit list." As the door shut I heard her say, "That was so worth the dollar."

We all looked at the door in silence for a few seconds after it shut, and then it was Jake that spoke.

"Holly Hell. What was that all about? Talk about coming out of left field. I mean, it has been a long time since she could do anything." There was an edge to Jake's voice, and I think in the back of my mind I knew it registered as fear that I was hearing. "I mean talk about bad timing. She is going to be away from us, with all this new power and no one there to help her control it."

"Jake. That's enough." Nessie's voice was full of tears and she turned her back, taking deep but ragged breathes. Jake stood behind her and held her close, kissing the top of her head.

"Sorry Ness. I know that she will be fine. I guess I am just in shock."

I stood there like an intruder. I wanted to slip away, but when I tried to go into they stopped me.

"Seth, if it isn't too personal, what did she say?" The pain seeped from Nessie's words.

I turned and smiled at her, the door still in my hand and halfway open. "She understands, to a certain degree. I think we will all have to make some kind of amends; especially me. I just hope I am up to the task." I walked into the house, grabbed my suitcase and walked the very familiar walk to my apartment. I paused outside Sophie's door, and I heard beautiful yet sorrowful music escaping from her room. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and walked down the hallway. As I got to the stairs that took me to the happiest home I had ever known, I heard a click behind me. I turned to see Sophie standing halfway out of her door. She had her hand on the door frame and was leaning against it. Her eyes were puffy and I could tell she had been crying.

"We are leaving about 9 in the morning. Are you going to be available to help? I am sure we could use the muscles." She half smiled and I knew this was a big effort on her part.

"I would love to be there. I can't wait to see your new place." She smile and stepped back into her room. I wanted to see her one more time before I was alone with my thoughts. "Hey Sophie," she leaned her head around the corner. "Sweet dreams." She smiled and I turned and opened the door. I was about to take the first step when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and she was right there, her sweet smile softly painting her angelic face. She motioned for me to bend down and I did. She leaned forward and gave me soft kiss on the cheek.

"I'm still mad, but I am so glad you are home." She raised up on her toes and did a half turn and practically danced back to her room without looking back.

When I got to the top of the stairs, it was like my apartment had been trapped in a vacuum. Everything was the same. I unpacked and took a long, hot shower. By the time I climbed into bed, it was close to ten, but I had been awake for what felt like days. The alarm seemed to go off after what felt like five minutes, even though I had slept for nine solid hours. I heard some hammering going on down stairs, and I had to assume that the windows were going to be replaced by the end of the day.

I climbed out of bed, dressed in my Levi's and a black t-shirt, grabbed my shoes and socks and headed down to see what the day would bring. In a way I was grateful that Sophie was leaving so soon after me getting here. I didn't have a chance to get into any kind of a routine in which she was always present.

Emmett, Edward and Jake were removing the old window panes and when the saw me, it was Emmett who made it seem like no time had passed at all.

"Grab a hammer you slacker."

I put on my shoes and joined them. We caught up and when Nessie told us breakfast was ready, Jake and I practically ran to the table.

Shortly before 8:30, Sophie made her way downstairs. She sat quietly at the table, and again, Emmett was on a roll.

"So I see hurricane Sophie came out of hiding last night. Glad to have you back!" He stood there, waiting for a response. A look registered on Sophie's face. I couldn't tell if it was anger or doubt. I think it was the latter, because she closed her eyes and suddenly Emmett was lifted off the ground and sent sailing through the trees. He let out a yell and Sophie quickly opened her eyes and looked in the direction he went. The corner of her mouth raised and then she quickly began eating again.

"Sophie Rae. Be nice to your Uncle." Nessie was in mom mode, but I knew her well enough to detect the amusement in her voice.

"Or at least wait until all your stuff is moved and the windows are replaced." Jake got a stern look from his wife, but Sophie giggled.

We all continued to eat in silence; that awkward kind when everyone knows something is about to happen that none of us wants to transpire. Finally Sophie broke the tension.

"So everything is packed and in the garage. The furniture is coming at noon, so I am hoping to have everything unpacked by dinner. You guys don't have to stick around if you don't want to." She played with the last piece of fruit on her plate.

"Of course we will stay for dinner. I hardly ever get to go out on the town." Jake grabbed her hand. "Do I need to pack my suit?" He winked at her and she slapped his hand.

"I was thinking pizza Dad." She paused then and looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "You still like pizza right?"

I smiled down at my plate and nodded my head. "As long as there are no anchovies, I am golden."

Sophie pushed her chair back and quietly took her plate into the kitchen. When she came back she quickly walked to the stairs, calling as she ascended, "I'll be ready in 20 minutes. All my boxes are in the garage."

I looked at Nessie and a tear ran down her cheek. She took a deep breath and Jake took her hand. They didn't say anything. I didn't say anything.

We cleaned up the breakfast dishes and went to the garage that sat at the edge of the yard. It housed four cars, and I hoped that they had an extra that I could use while I got my finances in order. The Cullens had helped me so much over the years, but I wanted to start making my own way. Jake pushed a button on his key ring and all four doors opened. Sophie's convertible was in the first bay. Next to hers was Nessie's convertible. Jake had a Jeep. It looked like he had been out in the mud recently, and in the last bay was a Toyota pickup. Jake threw the keys at me.

"Well you have to drive something while you're here. Now shut your mouth and get to loading boxes."

I knew better than to protest. I would let them know that this was just a loan. Now was not the time though. As we started to load boxes, Edward and Emmett joined us. We loaded my truck and the back of the SUV we drove the night before, full and as the last box was being placed, Nessie and Sophie arrived at the garage, each carrying a box. They put them in the back of Sophie's car and then came and stood with the group.

"Well it looks like the dogs will be doing the heavy lifting today; too sunny for us blood suckers." Emmett shrugged his shoulders and made a fake pouty face.

Just then, Bella, Carlisle and Esme arrived. I gave them all hugs and said quick hellos, but then stepped aside so they could spend time with Sophie. She hugged them all and told them she would be back so often she would be a pest. There was one last goodbye from everyone, and I got in the truck, Nessie and Jake in the SUV and Sophie in her car. She led the way, with me bringing up the rear.

The ride seemed long and lonely. I kept searching for something to listen to to lift my spirits, but everything was morose and kept reminding me that she was leaving.

We got to Seattle and Sophie led us to a high rise building in downtown. We followed her into the underground parking and she parked in her assigned spot, while we took visitor parking at the opposite side of the structure. This was a pretty swanky place, and I knew that this was the only way the family would let her stay in the city on her own.

I got out of the truck, stretched and grabbed two boxes. Jake did the same, and Nessie went to help Sophie with the boxes in her car.

The elevator ride up was full of nervous chatter from Sophie and Nessie. Jake and I stood in silence, and I watched as his jaw clenched and flexed. I knew this was almost impossible for him to do. This was his little girl he was leaving in the big city. But we all knew we had to let her go.

Her apartment was on the twentieth floor. It was all white walls and windows. The floors where a dark wood, almost black. Just as we set out boxes down, there was a buzz on the intercom by the door. The furniture was here.

This started the first of many trip by Jake, myself and the delivery men down the elevator. Luckily for them, there was a service elevator. I couldn't imagine going up twenty flights of stairs with that stuff. Nessie and Sophie unpacked as we carted boxes, and by the time we were done, they had just a few boxes left. I looked at the clock and it was almost 3. The day had flown by. It is amazing how being with your favorite people will do that.

We all finished the last of the boxes, and Jake settled in on Sophie's sectional, remote in his hand and some college football game on the flat screen that had been freshly mounted above her fireplace.

"I don't think so Dad. Let's get something to eat."

We made our way downstairs and decided to walk to the place since it was only a few block. We got a to this little whole in the wall restaurant where the only real seating was outside, ordered our pizza and people watched.

"I can see you spending a lot of time here and at the little coffee shop we passed." Nessie was proud of her daughter, and radiated off of her like the sun.

"You know me so well." Sophie leaned over and kissed her mom on the cheek.

We all talked about trivial stuff, but it seemed priceless. Before we knew it the pizza was gone and it was time to head home. As we were walking back to our cars, I stepped back to give them some time alone. I couldn't hear what they had to say to each other, but it was laced with tears. They got in their car, and I walked up to her to tell her goodbye.

"What Clearwater, you don't even walk a girl to her door." She shook her head and clicked her tongue.

Jake rolled down his window and yelled, "See you at home. Love you Cub." And with that they drove away.

"Shall we Miss Black?" I motioned for her to go ahead of me. We got in the elevator and rode in silence. When we got to her door, I told myself I would not go in. For both our sakes, I would give her space.

She opened her door and stood in the middle of the opening, turning to face me. "Thank you for all your help."

"Of course. I really like your place."

There was this awkward silence, and I just wanted to go inside and sit with her and talk, or not talk. Just to be in the same room with her. But I knew that would take time.

"Well, goodnight Seth."

I didn't want to leave without some kind of indication of when I would see her again, so my words didn't surprise me, even though they seemed to have a mind of their own.

"Sophie, would you like to meet for coffee the day after tomorrow? I don't know what your schedule is like…." I let the words trail off, and as I did, a smile painted her face.

"I will meet you at the place on the corner, Monday morning at 9. I have class at 11." Her smile lit up my whole world.

"Until then." I nodded my head and headed for the elevator.

"Seth." I turned. "Take care of them for me."

"Of course. If you need me, call."

She giggled, "I don't have your number."

I backed into the elevator as the doors open. "I have yours. I'll send you a text. Be seeing you Baby Girl." As the doors closed, I left my heart there in that hallway. This was going to be a long two days.


End file.
